Don't Fret: The Worship Leader's Pocketbook

There have been many inspiring books written about worship, but where can you find advice as a leader who shapes your church's worship week by week? This book aims to address that need. It is a quick to read, organised and informative guide on the shaping and presentation of worship in Australia today. "Don't Fret" provides guidance on service planning, direction, flow and theology, as well as the critical skills of music presentation, platform ministry and service leadership. It is a practical guide book for all involved in church leadership (both lay and ordained). The material for this book grew out of Don's thirty years of experience as a musician and worship leader, including 16 years as an ordained minister in the Uniting Church in South Australia.

It’s rare to come across a foreword that so powerfully shapes how you read what follows. This one tells the story of the author, Don Purdey, passionately worshipping God, despite the slurred speech cruelly brought on by motor neuron disease. Whatever our church background, we can all be susceptible to the pitfalls of getting stuck in our comfort zone or veering towards performance. This pocketbook will help keep you in check. 5/5 - Tim Bechervaise, Premier Christianity

Purdey gives practical advice on all the tricky topics: communal Bible reading and prayer, communion and the offering, fellowship and music. There is advice on planning all kinds of services and on band/congregation leading, on playing music and singing, and on all the other worship ministries that often go unnoticed. Purdey doesn’t shy away from any question, from big-picture issues like ‘What hinders worship?’ and ‘What does your service itself communicate?’ to choosing hymns, considering arrangements and presenting solo items. – Eliot Kern, Eternity News